Sutphin Boulevard

So good. This book starts off with a... literal bang and develops from there. If you enjoy romances where friendship becomes something more, with some conflicts and bumps along the way, this is definitely a romance to pick up. It's also the first book in a series and it is delightful.

Other kudos points for #ownvoices author, diverse main characters, strong sense of place (ah, New York), and A+ steaminess.

I purchased this book pretty much upon release because it's a series that takes place in my stomping grounds and let's be honest: that cover is gorgeous. However I kept putting off reading it rationalizing my postponements in different ways: not in the mood, I'll wait for the series to be further along etc. Now I know it was a well honed sense of self preservation.How does a cis/het/female get reduced to tears by a cis/gay/male character in an M/M ‘romance'? When [a:Santino Hassell 4942228 Santino Hassell https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1445991731p2/4942228.jpg] dives deep into ones life and lays you bare blood, viscera, and bones. SH has concisely and masterfully written a life experience that is all too familiar to many but without easy outs or a saccharine solutions. The characters wouldn't stand for it.What did I like about this book? Everything. I loved the NYC setting and the fact that every geographical location was recognizable as true. I loved the the workplace setting, I'm not in the education field but have close friends who are and the situations that Michael faces ring true. I really liked that these were real, everyday, gay men as I know them. They party, pick up one-night stands, and sometimes make bad choices. No judgement. Just life as we live it in this XXI century.I loved that though dealing with heavy subjects SH was still funny. Here's Michael talking about his ex, Clive:“If I'd never watched Closer and developed and infatuation for Clive Owen, I would have never dated the fuckhead.”or Nunzio ribbing Michael for slovenliness:“You look like you're about to start doing jazz hands for change on the subway. Did you even shower?” “I brushed my teeth,” Nunzio gave me a look of disgust. “Look, I know you're upset, and I don't blame you, but we can't go have rebound fucks if your ass isn't even washed. It's inconsiderate and unhygienic.”I loved the deep, unconditional, and palpable love that Nunzio has for Michael. Everyone needs a friend like that even if it's not of the romantic variety.But overall I loved Michael fiercely and wanted to swaddle him from all the harshness life had thrown his way. Because the thing is that I've been Michael. Here's this nugget about the difference between himself and his brother Raymond:“Even covered in tattoos and drenched in bad attitude, Raymond fit in more with the family than I ever had. ... The sense of not belonging had set in the moment I'd hit puberty, but had grown more pronounced with each year I'd spent living away from my mother and the house, not seeing the rest of my family as I'd created my own life away from them all, I was an outsider, disconnected from the family and off living some foreign lifestyle in Manhattan ...”... perhaps different specifics but same experience and SH nailed the essence of that half life where you no longer quite belong to the tribe you came from but aren't free from them either. And where do you belong. And how do you get there and who will be your home. Michael has the answer to that from long ago, it's just hard to recognize it mired in the morass of family drama that has him seeking oblivion in liquid courage. Here he is talking to Nunzio:” ... if something was wrong with you, I'd drop everything to fix it just like I'm doing for them. The difference is, I'm stuck with those motherfuckers, and I chose you for myself.”Oh Michael ... I feel you!This was a gut-wrenching journey of loss, mourning, and finally coming into one's best self. Happily for Michael it also meant recognizing that the romantic love many of us seek was also within reach in Nunzio, his best friend and the person who'd steadfastly been with him for twenty years. What good fortune. I loved that SH really had Michael go through the steps to fix himself even when that meant hitting rock bottom. The anonymous sex on New Year's had me twitching Yes there were scorching hot scenes and I thoroughly enjoyed them but love and headboard banging sex won't fix us.And last but not least who doesn't want a Nunzio in their corner. Some romantic bon mots he throws Michael's way, and I'm not kidding. These are more honest than the three little words people think are magic:“Come on gorgeous. It's so much better when it's just us. We can just get off and then we can chill. Sex without the song and dance and having to spend a fortune on drinks.”and“Damn Mikey. You got me feeling some type of way.” ... “What way?” “Like I could get by pretty well fucking only you and be really okay with that.”I'm sure I'll think of more stuff but in the meantime I'll hurry on over to the [b:Sunset Park 25842991 Sunset Park (Five Boroughs, #2) Santino Hassell https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1445081788s/25842991.jpg 45707493] and keep an eye peeled for Michael & Nunzio on the train or more likely walking the streets of Manhattan as I'm a 5 train chick myself. ;-)Ps. Little niggles that I got over because the emotional punch of the story made them fade in the background.I found it odd that Michael's father and uncle had anglicized names, Joseph & John instead of José & Juan. Weird that when Michael first goes home because Joseph is there there's merengue playing and not salsa, they are Puerto Rican after all but hey Dominican's listen to salsa too. In any case it's all reggaeton now anyway. Also at Thanksgiving I'm glad they're drinking Brugal (Dominican rum) but wouldn't it be Bacardí? Meh ... who knows?My only real problem was that I had the audio too and while [a:Rusty Topsfield 12547237 Rusty Topsfield https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png] does a great job with the different voices of the guys in English his Spanish is atrocious to the point of non existent. Too bad.